Plus: Real Madrid once again show they are the comeback kings as Vinicius Junior breaks Johan Cruyff's record, while Pep Guardiola defends Manchester City's draw in Leipzig despite Erling Haaland's obvious frustrations
Wednesday 22 February 2023 23:22, UK
Victory over Everton settled some nerves. Beating Newcastle was supposed to instil more confidence. But the visit of Real Madrid was another matter entirely.
Jurgen Klopp had watched back last season's Champions League final in preparation for this tie, describing the experience as torture. Wait until he wades through this one, Liverpool's biggest home defeat in Champions League history, a loss for the ages.
Klopp had talked of newfound optimism, hinting at corners turned and obstacles overcome. "Four weeks ago it would have been different," he had said beforehand, attempting to provide some assurance. "Life is all about timing. Maybe we found our feet in time."
For a quarter of an hour, Liverpool had almost everyone believing. Madrid were overwhelmed early on. But their belief never wavers. The now 14-time champions of Europe had won against a better version of Liverpool than this in Paris in May. They are an opponent capable of exposing fragilities, able to leave Anfield facing up to the chastening reality that the revival was just an illusion.
Even in beating Newcastle, an ostensibly straightforward win given that they were two goals and one man up midway through the first half, there were moments of discomfort. Jamie Carragher, watching for Sky Sports, named Alisson as Liverpool's best player that night.
He described the defending from set-pieces as absolutely shocking, the defending in general as awful. "Klopp will be looking at this and there are still things that will worry him," Carragher concluded towards the end of that game. "It is too easy to get at Liverpool."
The Kop were defiant at the end but not daft. Five goals conceded at Anfield for the first time in their distinguished European history. A historic defeat. Klopp wants to cling to positives, build on them, but Liverpool cannot do so without addressing the deficiencies.
If they remain so easy to beat, so vulnerable from set-pieces and from counter-attacks, from any team able to reach their penalty box, it will be impossible to deliver the consistency that was once their hallmark. That is long gone. The fear is that the revival was built on sand.
Adam Bate
For all the talk in England over whether Marcus Rashford is the most in-form forward in Europe, the message doesn't appear to have reached Spain, where Carlo Ancelotti has a very different view.
"Vinicius [Junior] right now, in my opinion, is the most decisive player in world football," said the Real Madrid manager after witnessing his Brazilian winger once again punish Liverpool at Anfield.
Vinicius was the matchwinner when Real beat Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final in Paris last May and he was in even more devastating form on Tuesday, scoring twice and claiming an assist as the Spanish champions dismantled Jurgen Klopp's side in their own backyard.
While Vinicius's second - a looped deflection over Alisson after he charged down the Liverpool goalkeeper's pass - was handed to him, his first was all his own work, weaving into space inside the hosts' penalty area before whipping a devastating finish inside the far post.
Vinicius also claimed the assist for Karim Benzema's second goal and set up the free-kick which led to Eder Militao's strike by skinning Trent Alexander-Arnold before winning a foul off Joe Gomez.
At 22 years and 224 days old, Vinicius became the youngest visiting player to score twice against Liverpool at Anfield in a major European competition since Johan Cruyff in December 1966 for Ajax in the European Cup. That alone demonstrates the calibre of player the Real Madrid star has become.
Joe Shread
Paris Saint-Germain were the first team to experience Real Madrid’s remarkable powers of recovery in the Champions League last season, when the French champions blew a 2-0 aggregate lead in the final 30 minutes of their last-16 tie thanks to Karim Benzema’s hat-trick.
Chelsea - the defending European champions - then went within touching distance of overturning a 3-1 home defeat in the quarter-finals when they went up 3-0 at the Bernabeu, until Rodrygo and Benzema again struck late to break Blues hearts.
But the best was saved until last, with Rodrygo scoring in the 90th and 91st minutes in Madrid to wipe out Manchester City’s two-goal aggregate lead in the semi-final, before Benzema sealed Real’s place in the final.
Liverpool were beaten by Real in that showpiece and, while there was no comeback needed nine months ago, Jurgen Klopp’s side were witnesses to another masterful fightback at Anfield on Tuesday.
Finding themselves 2-0 down within 15 minutes, it looked like it would one of those European nights at Anfield. But just over an hour later, the famous old stadium was silent as Real toyed with their prey.
With three goals to make up in the Bernabeu, Liverpool will need to produce a comeback beyond anything Real have conjured to reach the last eight.
Joe Shread
Pep Guardiola was prickly with the press after Manchester City's 1-1 draw away to RB Leipzig in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie. He even felt the need to remind his players that this was a good result - debriefing them on the pitch.
He was concerned they appeared down at the final whistle when an away draw in Leipzig should be regarded as rather better than that. He does have a point. Marco Rose won his first eight home games upon taking over at the start of September.
The list of teams beaten includes Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. Given that fact, perhaps there should be more satisfaction City return to Manchester unscathed. But it is the sight of them utterly dominant and failing to finish the tie that leads to frustration.
City's superiority does not always translate to goals. As against Forest, a game that had appeared in their grip was allowed to slip. Guardiola is right to provide the context. But the feeling persists that City would be winning these games at their very best.
Adam Bate
Failing to find Erling Haaland as often as he would like has been a feature of Manchester City's season despite his prolific scoring record. In the absence of Kevin De Bruyne through illness, the struggle to get the ball to Haaland was even clearer against RB Leipzig.
He cut an exasperated figure for much of their 1-1 draw, regularly making runs only to find that the ball did not arrive. Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva both have the quality to play it but not the inclination as they prefer to retain possession instead.
Haaland had 22 touches of the ball. Every other outfield team-mate had at least 60. Even Ederson had 37. Striker is the glory position but in this Manchester City team it requires plenty of patience too. The debate about his role in the side will continue.
Adam Bate
